Development - Dribbling with only one foot

rainbow_unicorn

rainbow_unicorn

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Wanted to see others' opinions on having their kid develop one or both feet for dribbling. I've been telling my daughter to concentrate on improving her dribbling with her strong foot first and to not worry as much about her weak foot. Granted, I understand that you need to develop your weak foot for shooting, trapping and crossing. But I feel like weak footed dribbling is overrated/rarely used...if you watch pros play they are dribbling with their strong foot 99% of the time. Thoughts?
 
If you have to bring the ball to your dominant foot, before dribbling or doing anything with the ball, time is wasted and defender is closer or at you. Also limits mobility with the ball directionally.

Its not overrated. Need to be able to do comfortably just about everything using both feet. Plus many of tight spaces require the player with the ball to move side-to-side, fore-and-aft, diagonally using both feet not to turn the ball over. Furthermore, the player then need to get the ball out for a shot, cross or pass accurately through a tight angles that may only exist using the non-dominate foot.
 
IMHO, dribbling should be something done equally with either foot.
I think most players have a preferred shooting/kicking foot, but I would never encourage focusing on one foot for either dribbling or shooting
I would do just the opposite-- encourage using both.
Better players can go either direction and are able to use both feet for dribbling, kicking, shooting
 
I think this is a short-sighted viewpoint. Not trying to be snarky, but the message you're sending is, "Don't work on your weaknesses, only your strengths".
 
rainbow_unicorn said:
Wanted to see others' opinions on having their kid develop one or both feet for dribbling. I've been telling my daughter to concentrate on improving her dribbling with her strong foot first and to not worry as much about her weak foot. Granted, I understand that you need to develop your weak foot for shooting, trapping and crossing. But I feel like weak footed dribbling is overrated/rarely used...if you watch pros play they are dribbling with their strong foot 99% of the time. Thoughts?
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It's important for the aforementioned reasons as described by the previous posters. Start while your child is young there may be less resistance from them now than later. I have the luxury of being a player and have worked with my kids on developing their weak foot from the start. They now use both and use the weaker foot with proficiency. It took sometime, but worth it. Kids tend to run around the weak foot which actually becomes an area of weakness.
 
I don't know...maybe my kid will be all messed up. But when I saw her dribbling one game with her left (weak) foot and losing the ball I instinctively told her to just dribble with her strong foot. As a player, I always dribble with my right (strong) foot. If you dribble around somebody to your left, you are not going to use your left foot to dribble...you use your right foot to dribble to your left. Even when Messi or Iniesta do a La Croqueta and move the ball to their weak foot the ball is immediately back to their strong foot afterwards.
 
If you are pretty good with just one foot, imagine how good you'll be with two.
Kids should be encouraged to try something new during a game. Who cares if they lose the ball. Maybe don't encourage it right in front of your own goal.
Think about the one footed player that has a sitter right in front of the goal, but the ball is at their weak foot. So they try to get the ball to their strong foot while the defender has time to recover.
Heck- make your weak foot 60% as good as your strong foot.
I'd bet that most players at the d1 level are pretty equal with both feet.
Teach it while they are young.
 
rainbow_unicorn said:
I don't know...maybe my kid will be all messed up. But when I saw her dribbling one game with her left (weak) foot and losing the ball I instinctively told her to just dribble with her strong foot. As a player, I always dribble with my right (strong) foot. If you dribble around somebody to your left, you are not going to use your left foot to dribble...you use your right foot to dribble to your left. Even when Messi or Iniesta do a La Croqueta and move the ball to their weak foot the ball is immediately back to their strong foot afterwards.
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I will bet Messi and Iniesta worked to improve their weak foot. A top player should be able to use both feet equally well. If not, defenders will take away their strong side forcing the player to use their weak side and getting depossessed.

Lastly, if your DD is ulittle player, who cares if she messes up using her left foot. You should compliment her after the game for using her left foot, which would encourage her to work on it some more.
 
rainbow_unicorn said:
Wanted to see others' opinions on having their kid develop one or both feet for dribbling. I've been telling my daughter to concentrate on improving her dribbling with her strong foot first and to not worry as much about her weak foot. Granted, I understand that you need to develop your weak foot for shooting, trapping and crossing. But I feel like weak footed dribbling is overrated/rarely used...if you watch pros play they are dribbling with their strong foot 99% of the time. Thoughts?
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No, they are not.
 
My best friend was coaching his daughter's team in Signature at U9ish and told her, when possible, to use only her left foot(weaker foot) the entire season(dribbling, passing, shooting etc.). She did, and her left foot became just as good as her right foot.

Fast forward to U16 and she just gave a verbal to a D1 school and the coach recruiting her said, "We absolutely love that you are a two-footed player. It makes you very versatile and we love that fact that we can play you on either side."

Who knows whether she would have become so good with her left foot had she not been given the instruction at U9 to work on her weaker foot.
 
My daughter has been playing since she was 3 and now is 8 and I can tell you her strong foot is her right. I notice since she was 3 of course being so small the ball was hit/ dribble on both feet and I told her to always keep practicing that way as she got older. She favors her right but in game time she can make solid passes and strikes with her left allowing her to make a quick decision on the fly. I see some of her teammates stuggle at times with there weaker foot and it causes issue during a game and at times we have lost games do to the player having to adjust to there stronger foot had they just even attempted to shoot with the weaker foot they may or may not have made the goal but at least the attempt was made but instead the attempt never happened because the opposing defense would get there before they could shoot on the stronger foot. Please understand my daughter is not perfect with dribble with her left but she does use it in game situation not all the time and I see her go to her stronger foot about 80% of the time but I always try to challenge her to attempt a move go to her left or weak side becuase I know it makes her more dangerous to defend if she does that.
 
How many times have you seen a player kick the ball with the wrong foot? There are many situations that demand a first time touch with the weak foot, but you will see some players try to use the outside of their strong foot instead which usually does not work out. When I used to coach rec, I would ask the players "How many feet do you have?" and follow it up with "Use them both!".
 
Soccer is not basketball. Basketball you need to be able to dribble with both hands. Next time you watch an EPL or CL game on TV, watch how the players are basically only using one foot for dribbling...you may be surprised.
 
My DD is lucky enough to be committed to a D1 school. One of the tests required in order to make the roster is a juggling test. The test starts on one sideline. The player must take 30 touches before they leave the sideline. They must then juggle across the field using both feet. If the drop the ball, they must start over at the sideline. Once to the opposite sideline, they must turn around a juggle back across the field with their dominant foot. Once they reach the sideline, they then turn around an juggle back across the field with their non-dominant foot. Players that cannot complete the test do not make the playing roster on game day.
 
rainbow_unicorn said:
Soccer is not basketball. Basketball you need to be able to dribble with both hands. Next time you watch an EPL or CL game on TV, watch how the players are basically only using one foot for dribbling...you may be surprised.
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Just because they use their strong foot in a game doesn't mean they can't or don't train to improve their weak foot. Iniesta in this Barca training video is seen trapping, turning and passing with his left foot. You may want to reevaluate your philosophy, before it's to late for your DD.
 
rainbow_unicorn said:
Soccer is not basketball. Basketball you need to be able to dribble with both hands. Next time you watch an EPL or CL game on TV, watch how the players are basically only using one foot for dribbling...you may be surprised.
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This is actually true that the majority of their play is on one foot as most players have a dominant stance; but, they are pretty talented on the other foot and it becomes very useful when under pressure. I remember looking at just this thing you are describing with Renaldo and he spends the majority of the time on his right foot.
 
NoGoal said:
I will bet Messi and Iniesta worked to improve their weak foot. A top player should be able to use both feet equally well. If not, defenders will take away their strong side forcing the player to use their weak side and getting depossessed.

Lastly, if your DD is ulittle player, who cares if she messes up using her left foot. You should compliment her after the game for using her left foot, which would encourage her to work on it some more.
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How does your daughter do with her off foot? I seem to recall you posting something about it. I am lucky enough that my daughter prefers her weak foot because she seems to kick the ball over the bar with her strong side.
 
Sheriff Joe said:
How does your daughter do with her off foot? I seem to recall you posting something about it. I am lucky enough that my daughter prefers her weak foot because she seems to kick the ball over the bar with her strong side.
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She can juggle, trap, gate turn, dribble and pass with her weak foot. She has never been an accurate shooter on either foot (should have practiced shooting more at ulittles), but will take shots with with her left. Is she has good as her right, no, but she won't run around the ball to use her strong foot either.

Her college coaches also told her they like that she can use both feet and can play on the left side of the field.
 
NoGoal said:
She can juggle, trap, gate turn, dribble and pass with her weak foot. She has never been an accurate shooter on either foot (should have practiced shooting more at ulittles), but will take shots with with her left. Is she has good as her right, no, but she won't run around the ball to use her strong foot either.

Her college coaches also told her they like that she can use both feet and can play on the left side of the field.
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She plays mid?
 
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